"He’s less than two weeks old, but he shows the telltale signs of a baby agitated and in pain: an open sore on his chin where he’s rubbed the skin raw, along with a scratch on his left check. He suffers from so many tremors that he’s been placed in a special area so nurses can watch him around the clock in case he starts seizing — or worse, stops breathing."

"One year after a tornado devastated West Liberty, Ky., the Appalachian foothills town is ready to put the pieces back together with a plan its leaders hope will draw national attention and serve as a model for struggling small towns throughout the country."

"Nearly a year after it was fined more than $800,000 for safety violations, K and D Mining Inc. — run by two operators of the Kentucky Darby Mine where five miners died in 2006 — has essentially disappeared and none of the fines have been paid, federal records show."

"Hard times are expected to continue in the Appalachian region that was once the heart of the nation’s coal production, according to a new report. Coal business in the mountains of eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia is facing declining reserves, higher production costs and competition from other coal basins and natural gas."

"Black lung disease and dust-induced lung diseases, such as emphysema and lung cancer, are on the rise among Appalachian miners. Leading experts on black lung, led by Dr. Edward Lee Petsong of West Virginia University, found that black lung disease is on the rise because of miners' increased exposure to dust. Dust exposure is also increasing rates of lung cancer and emphysema for miners, the study finds."

"For a lot of college students, summer is a chance to kick back and relax-- maybe do an internship -- before resuming classes in the fall. But some students in Appalachia won’t be returning to campus next August, at least not at the school where they originally enrolled."

"Residents of Oceana, a town of 1,400 people in Wyoming County, don't deny the community has a drug problem. But they want to prove allegations raised in a new documentary film that Oceana doesn't have hope just aren't true."

"Yesterday’s release of a new report examining the ongoing decline in Central Appalachian coal production provided a perfect opportunity to advance the discussion of where the regional coal market is heading and what that means for the people of local coalfield communities."

"An agreement is in place to continue Tennessee's popular trout stocking program for three more years, a move that gives a boost to the nearby Erwin National Fish Hatchery and directly impacts fishing on several reservoirs and tailwaters in our area."